The Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) concluded its two-day Nava Sankalpa Shibira and adopted a “Karnataka Declaration”, committing to reservation in jobs in the private sector.
If the party comes to power after next year’s Legislative Assembly elections, it has decided to commit ₹ 2 lakh crore for completing all pending irrigation projects for the next five years.
The conclave attended by senior leaders of the party has decided to fight 2023 Assembly elections under the collective leadership of the party. The party will come out with details of Karnataka Declaration in two to three days.
Seats allotted
Accompanied by senior leaders, KPCC president D.K. Shivakumar and Leader of the Opposition Siddaramaiah read out proposals adopted at of “Nava Sankalpa Shibira”, and said the party has proposed to allocate 50% seats for candidates aged below 50 in elections to rural and urban local bodies, including BBMP.
It also proposed 50% seats for youth below 50 years of age in all organisational committees of the State from panchayat to state level. Women would be provided 33% reservation in all committees of the party.
Leaders of all castes would be accommodated in the party organisation in accordance with their population. All vacancies in the organisation would be filled by June 25, Mr. Shivakumar said.
75-km padayatra
A 75-km padayatra will be launched in all districts from August 9 to 15 to mark the country’s 75 years of independence and mobilise the youth and all sections of the people towards the party. A district-level Nava Sankalpa Shibira would be held and dates would be announced soon, KPCC chief said.
The party has proposed a new employment scheme for urban areas on the lines of Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act for rural areas. Already Congress-ruled Rajasthan has announced it.
Besides putting pressure on the BJP government to fill backlog vacancies, Mr. Shivakumar and Mr. Siddaramaiah said if the party came to power after the 2023 elections it would ensure reservation in government jobs, which are outsourced now. Gradually, outsourced jobs would be eliminated by filling vacancies permanently.
On the farming sector, the party proposed allocation of ₹40,000 crore for completion of irrigation projects each year in Krishna, Cauvery, Bhadra and other river basins in the State. Three farm laws would be scrapped. The Centre scrapped the laws, but the State has not done it.
Kasturirangan report
The Congress has decided to strongly oppose the Kasturirangan report on Western Ghats and said declaring Western Ghats as ecologically sensitive zone would adversely affect the livelihood of people in the region.
Mr. Shivakumar said separate manifestoes would be drafted for coastal, Malnad, Bengaluru, Kalyana Karnataka and Bombay Karnataka regions for bringing the party to power.
Mr. Siddaramaiah demanded extension of providing compensation for the State under the GST, which would end on June 30, 2022, for the next five years. The party would stage protests opposing spiraling prices of essential goods under the ruling of the BJP government.
Senior leaders Mallikarjun Kharge and G. Parameshwara, and other senior leaders attended the meet.
